Exercising and strength testing apparatus



Nov. 3, 1942. w. L JENKINS V EXERCISING AND STRENGTH TESTING APPARATUS Filed 00 1;. 9, 1940 Zmnenort Z Ljrnfz ns.

Patented Nov. 3, 1942 OFFICE EXERCISING AND STRENGTH TESTING APPARATUS William L. Jenkins, Canonsburg, Pa.

Application October 9, 1940, Serial No. 360,497

2 Claims.

My invention relates to the general class of amusement andexercising devices, with particular reference to the provision of an apparatus for testing the muscular strength exerted in batting or driving a ball, such as a baseball or golf ball.

The main object of my invention is to provide an apparatus of this general character in which the mechanism operated by the striking of the ball is sturdy in construction and will operate in a positive manner to indicate the driving force exerted in hitting the ball with a bat such as commonly used in the playing of the game of baseball.

A further object of my invention is to provide an apparatus of this type that is especially adapted for amusement parks, and therefore contemplates a construction of supporting frame and associated mechanism whereby certain parts are foldable for compactness in shipping the apparatus from one place to another without disconnecting any of the parts constituting the operating mechanism.

My invention also contemplates a particular form of mechanism interposed between the movable ball-carrying arm and indicator that will facilitate adjustments that may become necessary in the operation of the apparatus.

Other objects and advantages of my improved exercising and strength testing apparatus will appear in the following specification, and what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is more specifically set forth in the appended claims.

In the drawing:

Figure l is a front view of the apparatus constructed in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 2 is a rear view. 1

Fig. 3 is a side View, the dotted lines showing the foldable parts arranged for shipping.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail view of that part of the operating mechanism located in front of the supporting frame. i

In the construction of the apparatus I provide a supporting frame comprising a box-like casing I0 and an upright board I I hinged to the rear end thereof, the board being of slightly less width than said casing and held in upright position when the apparatus is in use by fastening means preferably in the form of projecting apertured ears l2, l2, attached to the back of the casing and board, respectively, with a bolt and winged nut I3 connecting the ears, thus facilitating the operation of folding the board on top of the easing as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3. To house the indicator 9, hereinafter referred to and of a conventional type, the upper end of the board is provided with a transverse strip Id at its upper or outer end cooperating with the hinges I5 at the inner end thereof to leave a space between theboard and top of the casing, and for convenience in handling the apparatus the lower end of the casing is provided with skids i6, I 6, it being noted that the greater length of the casing is from front to rear so that the upright board at the rear end will not interfere with the sriking of the ball I! supported at the front end of the casing at an elevation above the top thereof. The casing in addition to supporting part of the registering mechanism also provides space for storing bats, and other needed appurtenances.

The ball I1 is in the form of a half round rubber blockand is supported in operative position at the outer end of an arm l8 secured to and extending from a shaft l9 mounted in front of the supporting frame or casing in spaced apart bearingsZO, the connection of the arm to the shaft being preferably by means of a block 2| keyed to said shaft and having a vertical opening therethrough to receive the arm, with set screws 22 for securing it fixedly to the block. For detachably securing the ball to the outer enlarged end' ofthe arm a bolt and nut 23 are employed, and in order that the ball-carrying arm may have free swinging movement the top and front of the casing are cut away, as at 24, 25, and a sheet metal shield 26 is secured within the casingto partition the path of the arm from the remaining space within said casing.

. To register the striking force applied to the ball the turning of the shaft to which the swing ing farm is secured is retarded by a weight and spring operating inopposition to the turning of the shaft, the weight 21, located within the easing at the rear end thereof, being connected to atsheave 28' on the shaft by wire 29 with an interposed idle pulley 30, while the connection of spring, 3|, at the back of the supporting frame, is by wire 32 toa companion sheave 33 on the shaft, the last mentioned connection including an intermediatesprocket chain 34 passing over a sprocket wheel 35 on spindle 36 forming part of the indicator device. It will beunderstood, however, that a wire may be used to extend from the spring to the. sheave, but the employment of sprocket chain and wheel will insure a more positive operation of the indicator-in either event idle pulleys 31 and 38 being employed for directing the Wire to the sheave. The wire passes from the sheave through openings in the front and back walls of the casing as shown in the drawing. By this arrangement the extent of the swinging movement of the arm when the ball is struck by a bat is determined by the opposing weight and spring, and the adjustment of the indicator is such as to register on the dial the muscular force exerted in terms of pounds, for which purpose the face of the dial is marked accordinglyany adjustment required being effected by turn-buckle 39 connecting the sprocket chain to the wire. To arrest swinging movement of the ball-carrying arm a ratchet wheel 40 is fixed to the shaft and is engaged by a springactuated pawl 4| secured to the casing near the upper end thereof, The sheaves are located at one side of the ratchet wheel, and as these elements of the registering mechanism are located in front of the casing they are preferably protected by a sheet metal cover 42, hinged at its upper end to the front wall of the casing and held in closed position by a turn-button 43. For convenience in manually releasing the pawl when the cover is closed said pawl is provided with a finger piece 44 extending through an opening in the cover.

As hereinbefore stated the upright board at the back of the machine is hinged to the top of the casing forming the body portion of the supporting frame of the apparatus, so that said board may be folded down for compactness in shipping, the ball-carrying arm being first swung down to a position within the casing and held by the ratchet wheel and pawl, and when the back board is swung down the flexible connections extending from the spring over the sprocket wheel to the idle pulleys will yield to permit lowering of the board, its upright position being maintained by the fastening means comprising the apertured ears connected by bolt and nut, hereinbefore referred to.

To protect the arm from being injured should the batsman strike below the ball, rubber bumpers 45 are attached to said arm immediately below the ball, and of course other modifications andchanges may be made within the spirit and,

scope of the claims.

It will be obvious that the construction and arrangement of the mechanical parts constituting the exercising and strength testing apparatus in accordance with my invention provides a very simple and effective means for registering the power exerted by a batsman in striking the ball, for the ball-carrying arm being fixed to the shaft will turn the latter in opposition to the relative power of the weight and spring connected to said shaft, and as one of the connections operates the indicator the power applied will be registered by the latterthe ratchet wheel and pawl preventing backward movement of the shaft so as to arrest the movement of the pointer of the indicator. For returning the parts of the registering mechanism to normal position it is necessary only to trip the pawl from engagement with the ratchet wheel. The particular construction also provides for compact arrangement of the back board and ball-carrying arm in relation to the body portion or casing to facilitate handling of the apparatus when it is to be shipped from one place to another.

I claim:

1. An exercising and strength testing apparatus for registering the power exerted in driving a ball, comprising a supporting frame, a shaft turnable in bearings attached to said frame, and a ball-carrying arm fixed to the shaft for turning the latter in one direction when the ball is struck; in association with mechanism for registering the driving power applied to the ball, said 7 mechanism including means, as a weight, connected to the shaft for opposing the movement imparted thereto by the striking of the ball, an auxiliary spring for a like purpose, a flexible connection extending between the spring and shaft and including a sprocket chain section, an indicator device having a sprocket wheel over which the sprocket chain passes for operating said indicator device, and a ratchet wheel and pawl forarresting the turning of the shaft by the weight and spring.

2. An exercising and strength testing apparatus for registering the power exerted in driving a ball, comprising a supportin frame in the form of a body portion or casing and a board rising from the rear end thereof and hinged thereto, a shaft turntable in bearings projecting from the front of the casing, and a ball-carrying arm fixed to the shaft for turning the latter in one direction when the ball is struck, the top and front of the casing being cut away to accommodate movement of the ball-carrying arm; in association with mechanism for registering the driving power applied to the ball including means, as a weight, connected to the'shaft for opposing the movement imparted thereto by the striking of the ball, an auxiliary spring connected to the shaft for a like purpose, said spring being located at the back of the apparatus and the connection to the shaft including a sprocket chain section pass ing over a sprocket wheel and a wire extending therefrom to the shaft, an indicator device mounted on the face of the aforementioned upright board and operated by the sprocket wheel, idle pulleys at the back of the casing for direct ing the wire connection to the shaft, and a ratchet wheel and pawl for arresting the return movement of the shaft after the ball is struck, the board being adapted to be folded down on the casing and the ball-carrying arm housed in said casing for compactness in shipping the apparatus from one place to another.

WILLIAM L. JENKINS. 

